Many terms in earth sciences, and their underlying ideas, have been develop
ed in temperate-humid countries. Both geological and climatic reasons cause
gypsum-rich soils to occur in dry lands, Soil science has paid little atte
ntion to gypseous soils, and this limited knowledge is reflected in the dir
ect loan of customary terms of soil science that can lead to misconceptions
on the composition and behaviour of soils with large proportions of gypsum
. Elements for discussion on the use of sundry terms about soils containing
gypsum are presented here and some of their implicit assumptions discussed
. Some generic terms are examined, as well as several expressions used by o
rganizations devoted to soil survey and classification. The transformations
occurring in gypseous soils are discussed, in particular the effects from
exposure. The refinements herein proposed aim to help understand the role o
f gypsum in local and global earth-surface processes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci
ence B.V. All rights reserved.